Firefighters rushed to Farringdon Lane following reports of a fire in a flat. But London Fire Brigade later said after assessing the situation no fire was found. The Brigade sadi it is “now a police led incident”. Witnesses took to social media to say they were evacuated from a building. They said they could see armed police at the scene.
Some have suggested a man is “threatening to blow up the building”.
One local said: “The police are trying to get him out but he’s threatening to blow up the building.”
Another person added: “He’s got aerosols or something, he’s got knives, and he’s threatening the armed police officer so they decided to evacuate just to make everyone safe.”
Others claimed the man has barricaded himself into a building.
The London Fire Brigade tweeted: “We were initially called to reports of a fire, on investigation that was not the case. It is now a police led incident.”
In footage posted online, ambulances and police cars can be seen parked on the road.
Vehicles from the Met’s Territorial Support Group (TSG), which specialises in public order policing, can also be seen in the video.
The force has been contacted for comment.
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